Brisbane Roar players today participated in the presentation of new research which could help footballers avoid tendon injuries and return to the field quicker after they are injured.
Young Roar 2014/15 player of the year Shelford Dais and teammate and Young Socceroos squad member Benjy Lyvidikos trialled the technology as it was shown to Science and Innovation Minister Leeanne Enoch by Professor Scott Wearing, from QUT’s Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation.
Professor Wearing’s research uses sophisticated ultrasound and imaging technologies to examine stress levels on ankle tendons – and is particularly useful in the early stages of pre-season training.
The technology also can closely monitor the recovery and rehabilitation program after a tendon injury to avoid a short-term re-occurance of the same injury.
“For professional athletes and teams, having a player out for a long period of time can have a big impact on performance, especially in tough competitions like the A-League,” said Ms Enoch, who revealed to the gathering she was a former centre forward for the Kingsridge United Under-14s.
“Professor Wearing’s research was the first comprehensive study in Australia to assess the effectiveness and cost-benefit of a range of rehabilitation approaches, including exercise and surgery.
“This has enabled Professor Wearing to build a significant body of knowledge about the rehabilitation of tendon injuries. In fact, Professor Wearing’s research is so advanced, the data he collected was used by coaches and athletes at the London Olympics.”
Professor Wearing said he hoped his research could reduce the amount of time athletes were off injured.
“We know a lot now about what works best to get an athlete back on their feet again after an injury. A tendon injury, like all injuries, is complex. But it doesn’t always mean surgery and some forms of rehabilitation work better than others – it all comes down to individual circumstances,” Professor Wearing said.
His government-funded research is also focused on effective, evidence-based injury prevention.
“As part of that, I’ve been looking at an athlete’s gait to fully understand the mechanics of tendon injury. The more we know about how injuries occur and what damage they do, the better we’ll be at not only treating them, but also helping to prevent them,” Professor Wearing said.
Brisbane Roar interim chief executive David Pourre said Professor Wearing’s research was important for all Queensland sporting clubs.
“At the Roar we really value the role that science now plays in the modern game, improving our performance and also in helping our players recover quickly when they get injured,” Mr Pourre said.
Dais and Lyvidikos are vying for selection when the Young Roar travel to Ipswich on Saturday to play Western Pride FC at Briggs Road (7pm kick off/U18s 3pm) in the PlayStation4 National Premier Leagues Queensland.
It is the first NPLQ game for the Pride since their coach Karl Dodd joined the Roar this week as the club’s new High Performance Manager.
Young Roar Coach John Sime is expected to name a very different team to the one that beat the Pride 12-0 in Round 5 with four players from his squad – including Mitch Hore who netted six goals in that win over the Pride – now training with the club’s Hyundai A-League squad.
Last week’s 2-1 loss to Brisbane Strikers FC was costly for the fourth-placed Young Roar, who have now slipped five points behind third-placed Olympic United FC.
More significantly, they are now just four points ahead of a chasing pack of three – Redlands United FC, Palm Beach SC and Northern Fury FC.
Highlights of the Young Roar versus Strikers game last Saturday night can be viewed below.
Watch the highlights as Brisbane Roar FC Youth and Brisbane Strikers clashed at Perry Park on Saturday night.Strikers workhorse Cameron Draper was our man of the match – who was yours?
Posted by NPL Queensland on Monday, 29 June 2015
To see a photo gallery from the game by Steven Gibson Photography click here.
